tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51902198637627894142017-12-10T21:14:53.405-06:00all that's past is prologue...bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.comBlogger762125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-20233380968824018972017-12-04T22:58:00.001-06:002017-12-04T23:00:09.750-06:00"Well, that's not MY experience..."Recently, I got into quite a heated email discussion with a good acquaintance, a slightly older man I had previously sat on a board with. He had emailed several of us asking us to sign some petition about boycotting the NFL because players were taking a knee. His argument was that it was not a political stance he was taking, that the flag CLEARLY represented all of us ("it's generic"), and that we all had the same rights and responsibilities with regards to it.<br /><br />I did not spend intellectual time arguing the fact that NFL players standing on the field for the anthem is a relatively recent phenomenon, or any other similar fact-based arguments. His was an emotional statement, and those would not seemed pertinent to him. And really, it does not matter that the conversation about NFL players or cat food.<br /><br />What I DID argue was that in America, he had every right to his opinion — and also so did I, and our opinions were different. He kept on it for a bit, until I finally said we just needed to agree to disagree. He seemed to have a hard time letting that go.<br /><br />In this case, as in so many others, I could just not get through to this person that he had one view based on his set of experiences, and I had one based on mine, and that our experiences were different, but that neither set of these invalidated the other person's argument or history.<br /><br />I simply don't understand how we have gotten to this point, where we have to pick statements that are "right" and that, if something is different, that it must be automatically wrong. I've always thought diversity in opinion was a good thing. It's certainly a competitive advantage in business, where if you only made a product or performed a service for a small set of identical people you would certainly go out of business quickly.<br /><br />I don't expect other people to completely understand my experiences. They are mine for a reason. No two people are exactly the same, so even if I had an identical twin and we did everything together, our lives would still be different. But I do expect people to listen to them, and not to invalidate them, and to have enough respect for ME that they believe I must have the values I have for a reason and that yes, I have thought them through.<br /><br />You never appear smarter, or even stronger, by didactically insisting your own point. You end up seeming like an overwrought toddler (and believe me, I have experience with that). Want to gain the upper hand in a situation? Simply listen.bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-53660370776333238812017-12-02T10:12:00.002-06:002017-12-02T10:12:24.988-06:00Death and TaxesIt's not even that the tax bill was voted on in the middle of the night, in such a hurry that key provisions were scrawled in the margins, other elements were hidden on one page and contradicted scores of pages later, and that senators had somewhere between 60-180 minutes to try to digest the 497 pages of it. That's just cowardly, and shows that our elected representatives knew full well that they should be ashamed of the bill.<br /><br />It's that this bill decimates all that Patrick and I have worked for.<br /><br />Gladhill Rhone LLC is a small, 2-person company. We don't make a lot of money, but I know we do a lot of good. Each year we work with 30-50 small businesses, mainly non-profits, to help them do better at what they do. In terms of the impact that leveraged, it's priceless.<br /><br />Almost every dollar we make we put directly back into the economy, supporting other small businesses. I am confident that our tiny, two-person company has more of an effect on our community than if you averaged the per-employee effect of a large corporation like Ecolab (though I am by no means saying that these are not important companies as well). More importantly, for years I have firmly felt like small businesses like ours are the way forward for the innovative, creative future this country needs. As the economy changes and jobs in large factories get eliminated, nimble, service oriented businesses should be the thing this country excels in.<br /><br />This tax bill disallows our business expenses, crippling our company, while the new tax rates keep our company and personal taxes virtually the same.<br /><br />Personally, we pay about $20,000 a year in property taxes that support our city's schools, fire and safety, roads, and other services (an amount that is not unusual for the people we know). In general, the bill eliminates or curtails the ability to deduct those from federal taxes; originally, it was no longer going to allow those to be deducted. A last-minute (and rather uncertain) deal with Senator Collins allows partial deductions of up to $10,000.<br /><br />It eliminates the individual mandate, crippling the ACA, which we rely upon for health care.<br /><br />It eliminates the personal exemption, and changes deductions, reducing the incentive to donate to charity that my clients rely upon.<br /><br />And it sells out his country for over a TRILLION dollars in deficit.<br /><br />Sure, some of that will change in committee. The Senate version includes some elements the House bill does not, like allowing you to deduct medical costs that exceed 7.5% of income (the House bill is 10%, but remember the deduction rules are changing dramatically anyway) — but I expect those to generally get eliminated in reconciliation anyway.<br /><br />Maybe tomorrow I can suss how to fight this. But today, I'm just despondent, and really really angry.bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-27693340215170984962017-11-30T17:01:00.001-06:002017-11-30T17:01:05.104-06:00What Happens in Vegas...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P399k3P5lfI/WiCNoziq6zI/AAAAAAAACak/-qJNmENsn08YFmZ3E71IgkC-VsSKIPnbgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P399k3P5lfI/WiCNoziq6zI/AAAAAAAACak/-qJNmENsn08YFmZ3E71IgkC-VsSKIPnbgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9323.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />I realized on our last day that, though it was in general a good trip, there were several things we should have done differently. Thus, despite the "what happens in Vegas" line, these are things I would have done differently:<br /><br />1. &nbsp;Eaten at a buffet first thing, like on Thanksgiving Day (though pizza in the sunshine was nice). We put of off until the last day, and I wish we had not. Luckily the buffet we picked had a bottomless mimosa bar.<br /><br />2. Explored a wide range of casinos at first. We walked around a lot of mid-range places, putting the over the top exuberance of the Bellagio off until the last night and the sort of dismal sense that is Circus Circus until the last day. I wish I had had a better sense of the range.<br /><br />3. &nbsp;Seen the volcano at the Mirage explode.<br /><br />4. &nbsp;Had the drink. I spent days looking at people drink frozen daiquiris while walking around before I finally got one. Life was a lot nicer after the daiquiri.<br /><br />5. &nbsp;Seen the conservatory at the Bellagio. We saw it on Saturday night but it seemed too late to walk through — and then it took us 2 hours to get out of the parking lot. By the time we got back the next morning they were dismantling it. I can't believe I missed a giant floral peacock.<br /><br />6. &nbsp;Walked more/walked less. The first day we walked too much (over 27K steps) and I got &nbsp;blister. The last night we drove between Treasure Island and the Bellagio, and it took so long we almost missed the show (and we literally had an hour to get that few blocks). We should have walked (especially noting poor comment on the parking lot situation).<br /><br />7. &nbsp;I wish we had had more time to swim/putt putt golf/relax by the fire at the hotel. By the time we had time to do that, we had to check out.<br /><br />All things to note for the next vacation....bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-38158603785584301992017-11-28T19:52:00.001-06:002017-11-28T19:52:28.370-06:00Circus Circus<i>(and I don't mean the casino of the same name, which was kind of a depressing place to visit though we played a mean game of air hockey there....)</i><br /><i><br /></i>Back in Vegas, we spent the day in various circus endeavors.<br /><br />First, we went to the <i>Love</i> technical tour (which was actually sitting in seats int he theater and being shown the tech, but with no performers). It was focused on the true technical aspects — sound, lights, video, and mechanics — rather than the actual rigging (though Patrick did learn that they use only 12 riggers, and all from the sides instead of above).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-48ysSfxo2PI/Wh4QylwlYGI/AAAAAAAACaA/xMpfCH09SBQz39E-9y4jQj-v-aH0Y7ojgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-48ysSfxo2PI/Wh4QylwlYGI/AAAAAAAACaA/xMpfCH09SBQz39E-9y4jQj-v-aH0Y7ojgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9296.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />From there, the ultimately cheesy "Fall of Atlantis" at Caesar's Palace, plus I finally got my rum drink to walk around with! (note to self, get that earlier in the trip next time!)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZLLF6GVOiA/Wh4RLNZqeyI/AAAAAAAACaE/Gt8-4q-eJMESJB0opY2pmOGRSIUaP-_WgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZLLF6GVOiA/Wh4RLNZqeyI/AAAAAAAACaE/Gt8-4q-eJMESJB0opY2pmOGRSIUaP-_WgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9305.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />That night, we had TWO Cirque shows .<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NFR1WCVu-T8/Wh4R8petfmI/AAAAAAAACaM/p8UuvF6i8loZr5RwnSskXEEkLgWXkLUMACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NFR1WCVu-T8/Wh4R8petfmI/AAAAAAAACaM/p8UuvF6i8loZr5RwnSskXEEkLgWXkLUMACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9309.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>First was <i>Mystere</i>, a very traditional Cirque show, but with the added bonus of taiko drums. Beatrix especially loved the clowns, and I found the whole thing eminently enjoyable.<br /><br />Finally, we saw the late performance of <i>O</i>, and here words simply fail me — it's like nothing else I have ever seen. There is Cirque, and then there is above and beyond. The whole show was like some kind of dream, and all the images still swirl in my head (somewhat ruined by the fact it then took us 2 hours to get OUT of the Bellagio parking lot, but who needs sleep anyway?)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHIOnZqOzAQ/Wh4SzwgxUwI/AAAAAAAACaU/9MzURPAXjhwml07WwEAtuDH1kborkpLJgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHIOnZqOzAQ/Wh4SzwgxUwI/AAAAAAAACaU/9MzURPAXjhwml07WwEAtuDH1kborkpLJgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9312.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-1431196366709467512017-11-27T18:20:00.002-06:002017-11-27T18:21:55.903-06:00Grand Road TripWhen is a day in Vegas not a day in Vegas? When you use Day 2 of your vacation to drive to the Grand Canyon!<br /><br />We love road trips, so the 4.5/5 hour drive each way did not phase us (and truly, it would have been shorter, but it took us about 45 minutes to get in to the park). But I digress....<br /><br />Currently, at least, there's an "Every Kid in a Park" program, where every 4th grader can get a national parks pass for a year, allowing their whole family access. So we got up not as early as we should have and headed out.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sq4qePz-18U/Whyo4LQ7cFI/AAAAAAAACY4/KwzGgBnCP_g6dAZMJTRNHdrkR93ub2F_QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sq4qePz-18U/Whyo4LQ7cFI/AAAAAAAACY4/KwzGgBnCP_g6dAZMJTRNHdrkR93ub2F_QCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9264.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />First up, Lake Mead. We did not stop at the Hoover Dam. I know it was a lost opportunity, but we were running late.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-86ly9JspLAw/WhypLxaWqgI/AAAAAAAACY8/13gx4MTISIkTHYEzZGwO8YBQouDGgvMswCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-86ly9JspLAw/WhypLxaWqgI/AAAAAAAACY8/13gx4MTISIkTHYEzZGwO8YBQouDGgvMswCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9245.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Soon, we crossed the Arizona border, adding another state to Beatrix's roster. The scenery got more and more magnificent.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hq63zefWFIs/WhypbWkq6DI/AAAAAAAACZE/tDpqI2j98VUv5RdlcaKJOdRqtlR9dXFMwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hq63zefWFIs/WhypbWkq6DI/AAAAAAAACZE/tDpqI2j98VUv5RdlcaKJOdRqtlR9dXFMwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9247.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Stopped for lunch at Seligman, the birthplace of route 66. Delgado's Sno-Top Tacos was closed for the season, so we ate at a horrible place that shall remain nameless.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tc3cFxm54bI/Whyp0JRisnI/AAAAAAAACZI/Qgwe5J-wFvQXV0ZiyCobAcCbouHbzCY1wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tc3cFxm54bI/Whyp0JRisnI/AAAAAAAACZI/Qgwe5J-wFvQXV0ZiyCobAcCbouHbzCY1wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9258.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Slightly eerie pit stop.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SQgM3pXIwtM/Whyp9FSv6XI/AAAAAAAACZQ/G6hqYv0X1p0DwpGeNdLaxYinHaCk5c67ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SQgM3pXIwtM/Whyp9FSv6XI/AAAAAAAACZQ/G6hqYv0X1p0DwpGeNdLaxYinHaCk5c67ACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9260.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />Finally, our destination. Long lines, but friendly rangers (and what do we expect when we #optoutside on the day after Thanksgiving?)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7n7iXiPoTM/WhyqO7h1nUI/AAAAAAAACZU/Vj_aGFaTKk4ZqO6j1-BmsNEWVeLlhAl0QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7n7iXiPoTM/WhyqO7h1nUI/AAAAAAAACZU/Vj_aGFaTKk4ZqO6j1-BmsNEWVeLlhAl0QCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9263.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />We finally reach the Grand Canyon and set out on our "hike" — along with a bazillion other people, even late in the day. Remember, Patrick and Beatrix had never seen it, so when we rounded the corner to this view they were pretty amazed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0KRuv9azMDE/WhyqorIj6FI/AAAAAAAACZg/uDkdxdSh9vUtmFfxECeX-lYBhFimV-D8QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0KRuv9azMDE/WhyqorIj6FI/AAAAAAAACZg/uDkdxdSh9vUtmFfxECeX-lYBhFimV-D8QCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9266.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_TyvuqaNlE0/Whyqo3YKrDI/AAAAAAAACZc/BIvXUqZifS4H65tnN-FyPvrZWRMFPZJvwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_TyvuqaNlE0/Whyqo3YKrDI/AAAAAAAACZc/BIvXUqZifS4H65tnN-FyPvrZWRMFPZJvwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9268.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />I'll also say, the NPS has long wanted to diversify audiences, and at least here, they were succeeding. People of all ages, ethnicities, from all over the world — it was wonderful to see (if crowded). No matter how busy it was though, there always seemed to be a place just a &nbsp;few feet away where you could have the whole space to yourself.<br /><br />It was getting close to sunset, so we headed over the Bright Angel Lodge (a historic lodge, built in 1935), where we had been told the sunset views were amazing, passing some happily grazing deer on the way.<br /><br />They were not wrong.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWuemrNAMMQ/Whyrml2gIOI/AAAAAAAACZs/XRK99MwTknI8Lwy7gZQ246Us0A2t_-QEgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWuemrNAMMQ/Whyrml2gIOI/AAAAAAAACZs/XRK99MwTknI8Lwy7gZQ246Us0A2t_-QEgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9272.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NOogz7v0gb0/Whyrm5Cgz5I/AAAAAAAACZw/U_xhObGJApQxSfIGTYhwMUaLhSiZrJrhACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NOogz7v0gb0/Whyrm5Cgz5I/AAAAAAAACZw/U_xhObGJApQxSfIGTYhwMUaLhSiZrJrhACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9281.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />We were pretty quiet on the drive back. There just didn't seem to be much to say after all that.bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-61700883607689414332017-11-26T19:36:00.000-06:002017-11-26T19:36:03.899-06:00All You Need Is Love!Vegas Day 1 was Thanksgiving Day. We flew out early (thanks for the airport ride, Jason!), arriving in Vegas at abut 10am. As soon as we drove down the Strip towards our hotel (luckily located a few blocks off the Strip), we realized this was not going to be the kind of Thanksgiving where only a few things were open. In typical Vegas fashion, everything — except the In-and-Out Burger — was open and full of people.<br /><br />So once we checked in, we walked down to check out the action. Lunch was a very un-Thanskgiving couple of slices of pizza at an outdoor table while people-watching, and then we checked out some shops and the gardens at the Flamingo. Beatrix especially like the bath and body store where all the bath bombs were shaped like cupcakes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U8HVGI3iuT0/WhtohtyHadI/AAAAAAAACYY/iF-dm1WgX5YE4ktdePiYhnIcxtqLFQ49wCLcBGAs/s1600/FullSizeRender-1%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U8HVGI3iuT0/WhtohtyHadI/AAAAAAAACYY/iF-dm1WgX5YE4ktdePiYhnIcxtqLFQ49wCLcBGAs/s320/FullSizeRender-1%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We walked down to the Venetian and got our first sense of how HUGE everything in Vegas is. Outside was this large complex and canals with gondolas, but we were stunned when we walked inside and ALSO saw canals and gondolas, and full streetscapes of buildings with shops and a cloud-painted sky, and cobbled streets...<br /><br />After a couple of hours of walking and some big blisters, we hung out in the hotel for a little before heading back down. Dinner was at a place called the Yardhouse (just apps and one of their 135 beers on tap), since the buffet line was crazy. Then, off to see:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0bSr80eVU9c/WhtpqvaS_2I/AAAAAAAACYg/faRpuOcGb_8cmat-jurnhhB62uPVqeoNACLcBGAs/s1600/23844787_10214397882158141_2013155515475296126_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0bSr80eVU9c/WhtpqvaS_2I/AAAAAAAACYg/faRpuOcGb_8cmat-jurnhhB62uPVqeoNACLcBGAs/s320/23844787_10214397882158141_2013155515475296126_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />My amazing friend Noah, who plays Father Mackenzie in the show, had gotten us tickets with his discount. The generosity of this overwhelms me, because though I consider him a friend, I don't know him all that well. I first met him through Live Action Set years ago, but he's been mainly in Vegas for the past while, and we just don't hang out. Nevertheless, he went above and beyond to pick out great seats for us, and brought us backstage with his parents and brother (who were also visiting afterwards). An incredibly generous and lovely Thanksgiving event. (We also go to meet my friend Megan's husband Shav who was there that night and was nice enough to introduce himself!)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BHVVhVc6L94/Whtq2JTGN_I/AAAAAAAACYo/LLOwxn1BZNcVm_xqwWP-KIE6WNZIaIp9wCLcBGAs/s1600/FullSizeRender-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BHVVhVc6L94/Whtq2JTGN_I/AAAAAAAACYo/LLOwxn1BZNcVm_xqwWP-KIE6WNZIaIp9wCLcBGAs/s320/FullSizeRender-5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br />The show itself was GREAT. Very different from your usual Cirque du Soleil show in that is uses circus no more and more less than sound, video, teach, and dance to tell the story (we are REALLY talking tech — more than 6,400 speaker in the theater, thousands of lights, fully automated winches that mean they only need 12 actual riggers, and videos that make it the largest installation in the continent). The Beatles were the first music group I became more-or-less obsessed with, and they have a deep place in creating the me that exists now. To have that story mixed with circus was an incredible experience that made for a very special first night in Vegas.bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-77251563717727950312017-11-22T19:00:00.001-06:002017-11-22T19:02:52.646-06:00Craft-transformation!There are two kinds of things that put me in a &nbsp;zen-like, contemplative mode that I just love — working on house projects (like painting the dining room woodwork, which I just finished), and craft projects.<br /><br />Unfortunately, my craft space was an incredible disaster of piled-up mess. I could not find anything, and there was no actual room to create. Think I'm exaggerating? Here's visual proof:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UT4pkw8WrWo/WhX0pcO4DEI/AAAAAAAACXs/AZHA2dFd0nYqOc33VhXkfv-bZvL7fVWqACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_9214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UT4pkw8WrWo/WhX0pcO4DEI/AAAAAAAACXs/AZHA2dFd0nYqOc33VhXkfv-bZvL7fVWqACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_9214.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9GWC6eEAJkY/WhX0peHKfwI/AAAAAAAACXs/_tEwTG_xvM0mCzpnm1wMFYPwcl625faNgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_9215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9GWC6eEAJkY/WhX0peHKfwI/AAAAAAAACXs/_tEwTG_xvM0mCzpnm1wMFYPwcl625faNgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_9215.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M9_1avXUtss/WhX0peLIVuI/AAAAAAAACXs/T5qMAOLXvS8bX2fl9LWaBQ2sOhsuSfdngCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_9216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M9_1avXUtss/WhX0peLIVuI/AAAAAAAACXs/T5qMAOLXvS8bX2fl9LWaBQ2sOhsuSfdngCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_9216.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LOz4ugm5VRE/WhX0qdjysKI/AAAAAAAACXs/piE43_0eE1MHZ8m4J9JHBZCZn3hObXpDgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_9217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LOz4ugm5VRE/WhX0qdjysKI/AAAAAAAACXs/piE43_0eE1MHZ8m4J9JHBZCZn3hObXpDgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_9217.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br />The mess of it has weighed on me more than I can express. There have been a lot of times I wanted to just chuck it all, to decide I didn't need it in my life, I was not good at it, the whole thing was stupid, all because I could not handle the mess. When I DID try to do things, I could not find the right items: the pinking shears, right color thread, etc. I was about this far from giving up.<br /><br />That's when, a few weeks back, my friend Emily offered to help. Emily is an incredible creative person who I first met when she ran a wonderful pop-up called Highway North for several months (she still has a kind of sense of that shop at Groundswell, so you can pop in and get a latte and cool gifts). She's started a new business, called <a href="https://gatheringspaceorganizing.com/" target="_blank">Gathering Space Organizing</a>, and I knew she was perfect for the job.<br /><br />Because here's the thing about Emily. She's the perfect mix of intellectual and emotional. She understands your reasoning about holding on to something, but she also understands your emotional tie to it. She's not judgmental, but she does so much want to help you get through it.<br /><br />So today I blew off my clients for 3 hours and got through the whole craft space. Not only is the space organized beyond my wildest dreams, but it feels manageable. I can hardly wait to sew, and paint, and create there. I can find everything, and get sit down to work on a project without abandoning it halfway through. I was able to get rid of things I was not using, while feeling far more of a feeling of abundance with what was left. And isn't that what you are supposed to feel the night before Thanksgiving?<br /><br />Here are the after pics:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b4mg51gEFLo/WhYc5deBlxI/AAAAAAAACYA/HRky3ZU5mdAITfdET57kCT14Nii17WpZQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b4mg51gEFLo/WhYc5deBlxI/AAAAAAAACYA/HRky3ZU5mdAITfdET57kCT14Nii17WpZQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9219.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uq84Ru-hVWQ/WhYc5X1zrvI/AAAAAAAACX4/MxO5X1xvt-4YZbD0_mAqRRVab1KwrPrGgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uq84Ru-hVWQ/WhYc5X1zrvI/AAAAAAAACX4/MxO5X1xvt-4YZbD0_mAqRRVab1KwrPrGgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9222.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4D8GT_738Mo/WhYc5fi91HI/AAAAAAAACX8/itxXqr3YPXsYJrr-j4JUvgkI6xeXqeCmwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4D8GT_738Mo/WhYc5fi91HI/AAAAAAAACX8/itxXqr3YPXsYJrr-j4JUvgkI6xeXqeCmwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9223.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NR6FHHrLRRM/WhYc6V5dnDI/AAAAAAAACYE/1Monmoc-InwyVZyKHKqDsxkD4DU_0w5GQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NR6FHHrLRRM/WhYc6V5dnDI/AAAAAAAACYE/1Monmoc-InwyVZyKHKqDsxkD4DU_0w5GQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9224.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br />AMAZING, huh?<br /><br />So, if you are looking for kind of the ultimate "your life and mental health are important to me" gift this holiday season, I highly recommend giving a gift certificate for time with Emily. I'm hooked — I can hardly wait to bring her back. I feel like my whole life has changed after this afternoon.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-47967303212751206342017-11-20T23:13:00.000-06:002017-11-20T23:13:11.018-06:00David Bowie - A LifeThis has been a hard read. Not because it was not engaging, but because I kept on thinking somehow that, if I did not finish it, maybe Bowie would still be alive. Then I found out he had written a song for the <i>SpongeBob Squarepants</i> musical head to Broadway and figured it was all over anyway.<br /><br />All humor aside, it was a wonderful book, and one that both did not deserve my slowness, but also one I wanted to linger over. It's written in an unusual style, basically full of snippets from interviews of hundreds of people who knew and worked with Bowie, so it was like being at a surreal cocktail party with only one focus. I think it's the kind of thing David Bowie would have been amused by, were he still alive.<br /><br />I don't know how accurate it is, but I'm not sure that's the point. It felt like looking at a kaleidoscope of someone's life, the kind that you keep spinning and the image keeps changing.<br /><br />I wish there were photos, though. I kept paging through hoping there were some — it would have filled it out more comprehensively.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S2RXd8ilfXU/WhO1KoTFhvI/AAAAAAAACXM/UTUTPneViiQKP2yLZcxqW1hrkf4dKzjJwCLcBGAs/s1600/51UlzNBErqL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S2RXd8ilfXU/WhO1KoTFhvI/AAAAAAAACXM/UTUTPneViiQKP2yLZcxqW1hrkf4dKzjJwCLcBGAs/s320/51UlzNBErqL.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;">(As always, I received the book from <a href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.com/" target="_blank">Blogging for&nbsp;Books</a> in exchange for my honest opinion).</span></div><br />bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-49468179093919139242017-11-16T16:44:00.001-06:002017-11-16T16:44:14.880-06:00Dear Al FrankenToday you're going to break my daughter's heart.<br /><br />You see, Beatrix was born (insured) with a heart condition. When we needed to get private insurance because we no longer had it through work, she was denied coverage.. When you found out about this, just recently, your office has been great about asking about her story and about making her feel like people like her matter to you. You've fought for what is right. You're a hero to her.<br /><br />And now I'm going to have to explain that picture to her. And she's not going to understand why anyone would do that, or think it was funny. In Beatrix's world, things are pretty clear-cut. People get to marry the people they love. You treat everyone the same, no matter how they look, because it's what's inside that matters. Girls are just as good as boys are (ok, well, she probably thinks girls are &nbsp;little better.)<br /><br />Look, I've been in the performing arts my whole life, and I've been politically active, and I've been just a woman walking down the street. I've been assaulted, I've been harassed, and I've been in any number of situations where sexual dominance was considered "funny." But I don't want that for my daughter. I want something better than that. I wanted to think that people like you were better than that.<br /><br />Please show us — show HER — that you are better than that. I don't even know what that looks like, because I believe in your values, and I want you to keep fighting for the things like healthcare that made you Beatrix's here in the first place. But I want you to show you understand that things like this are not ok.<br /><br />And god, I just want my little girl to grow up retaining her faith in people.bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-63122229383026066282017-11-12T20:50:00.001-06:002017-11-12T20:50:10.524-06:00#viviennesjoyIt's been an amazing weekend of community. Yesterday morning I had a meal swap, and this afternoon I went to a clothing swap. We attended a magical wedding, and a sweet Sweet 16 brunch. Beatrix had her book club.<br /><br />But the thing that really hit me was today — #viviennesjoy<br /><br />Last year, our friends lost their 3-year daughter to Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome. One day she was there ... and then she wasn't. I can't even wrap my mind around it.<br /><br />So what do you do when that happens, and you have another little girl to live for, and you can't crawl under a rock and give up, much as you might want to? They continued on, and have formed <a href="http://www.viviennesjoy.org/" target="_blank">Vivienne's Joy Foundation</a> to bring attention to the issue, to build a playground in her memory, and most of all, to continue the joy that Vivi brought in her short life.<br /><br />This is <a href="http://www.viviennesjoy.org/vivies-week.html" target="_blank">Vivi's Week</a>. She would have turned four last Friday, and tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of her death. And so her family wanted to mark the week to share kindness with others.<br /><br />Vivienne's mother is part of a group of women I also belong to on Facebook, and today, it's safe to say that Vivienne's Week went viral. Almost half the 400+ women in the group (maybe more, that's an unscientific count) are offering giveaways on the site to honor Vivienne and her family, to lift up the other women in the group, and to spread kindness. Yes, you heard that — about 200 giveaways today in that group— from home-baked goodies to babysitting, errand running to hand-knit items, day passes to the Y to movie tickets, cocktail parties to group yoga classes, gift cards to local favorite places to donations in someone's name. I'm stunned; it's amazing. My heart is full with these 400+ women.<br /><br />You don't need to be part of an online group like this to be part of <a href="http://www.viviennesjoy.org/vivies-week.html" target="_blank">Vivi's Week</a>, though. I challenge you to do something to perform an act of kindness this week, to make sure Vivi's joy lives on. It's up to us to create all the joy in the world that she would have, if she was still with us.bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-66689823414797855442017-11-06T22:29:00.001-06:002017-11-06T22:29:28.728-06:00Remembering CharlieTonight was a memorial, of sorts, for the inimitable Charlie Bethel at Open Eye. I guess I'm saying now what I should have said there.<br /><br />I had met Charlie and seen his work many times by the time I actually worked with him at the Jungle. So I knew him artistically long before I knew him as a colleague, and I might have been a little stagestruck when we first interacted in the office together. Charlie was an incredible storyteller — one of the best I have ever known.<br /><br />He was a pretty good person to work with, too. That was a weird, transitional year at the Jungle (and a particularly shitty year in my own life). With a lot of staff changes and part-time people and the like, Charlie was the welcoming committee, they guy that held it together. I know he did not particularly like that role — but he did it, because someone had to.<br /><br />He was anxious to leave it, too. When Bain cast him in <i>Recent Tragic Events</i>, Charlie knew it was time to take a different step in his career, and embrace creating art more than administering it. He was anxious about it. But I think he also knew it was the way he needed to go.<br /><br />I didn't stay much in touch with Charlie after I left the Jungle, and I regret that. <br /><br />When my friend Dylan spoke about Charlie tonight, he told me after "I didn't know him that well. But he had an effect on me." I reminded him that, at memorials, no one checks your credentials. No one challenges your right to be there because you were or were not "close enough" to the person. It's enough just to remember them, and to try to be there for the people who they left behind.<br /><br />The world is a less rich place without you in it, Charlie Bethel.bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-13541390634141941212017-11-04T19:16:00.005-05:002017-11-04T19:16:48.603-05:00Winter PrepAfter a long but successful Gala for circus last night, it was nice to have a quiet day today. We took Beatrix to theatre class at CTC and spent our usual productivity time at Glam Doll (we need to keep her in those classes because we get so much done!). Then a stop at the Hamline Methodist Church sale (I got a Smart Woman mug!), and at Target (I'll save you the trouble — the Chip and Joanna Gaines collection starts tomorrow). But I did drop a whopping $1 on new pantry labels.<br /><br />We took Beatrix's friend Annie to lunch at Annie's Parlour (get it?), then headed home and got on an organizational bender. We got the yard trimmed and raked, brought a few plants in, closed down the fountain and put in the furniture, and filled the planters with birch logs. We cleaned up a little, did laundry, listed some plants and other things on the buy-sell-trade board, and made "poet's pie" (sweet potatoes and veggies in a pot pie).<br /><br />Now we're watching <i>LaLaLand </i>(finally), and I'm revelling in how very nice a quiet day is and how good new canister labels make me feel.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S8FYd_g_HTw/Wf5YFE0hl5I/AAAAAAAACW8/aEyMHT2Y9iQ-QquNepXtPNAFKgTmuS9eQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_9166.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S8FYd_g_HTw/Wf5YFE0hl5I/AAAAAAAACW8/aEyMHT2Y9iQ-QquNepXtPNAFKgTmuS9eQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_9166.JPG" width="240" /></a>bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-4127100373118743892017-10-26T23:05:00.000-05:002017-10-26T23:05:12.285-05:00School CommunityToday Beatrix's school had 2 big events — the Apex Fun Run (main fundraiser) during the day, and the Fall Festival at night!<br /><br />The Apex Fun Run is what Randolph Heights does instead of selling cookie dough or gift wrap or whatever. It's a major fundraiser for the school, but it also gives us 2 weeks of curriculum, and a healthy experience for the kids. Maybe because it was kind of cold, but this year seemed harder for Beatrix than past years — but she did it, ran a full 36 laps (I think that's about 3 miles), and kept a great attitude.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4zfJZM0b_Lc/WfKva1MKfzI/AAAAAAAACWg/W0IPjr2lybALUjVoM7u2QWFCc_ik5qEawCLcBGAs/s1600/22814403_10100108798698525_760166986881195560_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4zfJZM0b_Lc/WfKva1MKfzI/AAAAAAAACWg/W0IPjr2lybALUjVoM7u2QWFCc_ik5qEawCLcBGAs/s320/22814403_10100108798698525_760166986881195560_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Tonight was the Fall Festival, more of a gathering for the school community than a fundraiser. Filled with pizza, games from ring-a-pumpkin to a book walk, glitter hair and face paint, a dance, and general craziness, it was a fantastic evening of true school community. I'm so proud of the volunteers who worked so hard to make it great.<br /><br />I love Beatrix's school and the sense of community it engenders.bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-31787928768781421462017-10-22T18:47:00.000-05:002017-10-22T18:47:47.065-05:00Failed Craft ProjectsSo Beatrix and I love to do craft projects together, and we've documented many of them here. But I find one major problem with social media is that everything looks all perfect and easy and successful, and you never learn about anyone's fails.<br /><br />Well, we have plenty of those over here too!<br /><br />For a year or so, we've had a set of glasses prefect for marbling with nail polish. It looks so perfect:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9j5NW3yqcI/We0rArz0WRI/AAAAAAAACWU/fQ-imm9dccUnesBuCmfgwnVPyze0mpF9QCEwYBhgL/s1600/5cf8b3d20eb3f6e3c51e7f8797b3e3c3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1081" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9j5NW3yqcI/We0rArz0WRI/AAAAAAAACWU/fQ-imm9dccUnesBuCmfgwnVPyze0mpF9QCEwYBhgL/s320/5cf8b3d20eb3f6e3c51e7f8797b3e3c3.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><br /><br />Right? Just swirl around some nail polish, kind of like suminagashi, dip the glass, and go!<br /><br />So tonight we cleaned the glasses, picked the nail polish, and....<br /><br />Well, it did not work like the picture.<br /><br />The nail polish was gloppy and would not come out of the bottles. So then we tried to heat it, and then we tried to thin it with acetone, but first it would not come out of the bottles at all, and then it sort of dripped out.<br /><br />So we tried to dip the glasses in anyway, and the nail polish looked more like, well, soap scum than marbling.<br /><br />And then to proved problematic to remove from the glass.<br /><br />We threw out the gloppy nil polish and the plastic bin, and nose we have a set of 8 unadorned glasses. So much for that project!<br /><br />bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-39885948686140356852017-10-18T21:03:00.000-05:002017-10-18T21:03:02.517-05:00Back in TimeOn Sunday, the Saint Paul Library had a 100th birthday celebration, with a Victorian/steampunk theme, so naturally, we had to go. We ended up spending a couple of hours playing indoor corn hole and listening to an Afro-Carribean band (not sure how those are Victorian, but whatevs...), and making all sorts of steampunk accessories like clothespin dolls, little hats, and goggles. The downtown library has a new maker room that looks like a lot of fun (even a 3D printer!)<br /><br /><br />.&nbsp;<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8uvtkhUkCc8/WegGmrc-pvI/AAAAAAAACWA/dUvn8NQQomA80j6VIpQlNN_Lt4547VQKgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8uvtkhUkCc8/WegGmrc-pvI/AAAAAAAACWA/dUvn8NQQomA80j6VIpQlNN_Lt4547VQKgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br />Then, since we were feeling all history-oriented, we headed over to the <a href="http://waldmannbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Stone Saloon</a> (Waldmann Brewery) to check it out, and loved it! It feels very east coast Colonial, and the beer was great! (also the cheese and pretzel from Brake Bread). I imagine we will be there a fair bit, so come meet us there some night!<br /><br />(The night before, we had headed to River Falls, for Hogwarts Year 2 at <a href="http://www.sixthchamber.com/" target="_blank">Fox Den Books</a>&nbsp;with some of Beatrix's friends and their families. Also a lot of fun!)bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-35016021537998519922017-10-17T20:57:00.000-05:002017-10-18T21:42:03.618-05:00When Politics Gets to Be Too Much, We DrinkIn the middle of worrying about the country going to hell in a handbasket, I attended a School Board Candidate Forum that the PTA at Beatrix's school (hey, I guess that's me!) had yesterday. Let's just say it was enlightening. Even Beatrix saw through the yelling, middle-aged white guy who went around passing his card to kids and telling them to tell their parents to vote for him ("It's 1800, ladies, tell your husbands vote for Burr!"). She for sure does not want us voting for him.<br /><br />So tonight we decided to do some infusions. We had been given a bitters kit awhile back, so mixed the spices with the fruits and some bourbon and vodka. I have no delusions it will be as good as the Bittercube guys, but it's worth a try:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VFmegNvHtGY/Wea0nipfdLI/AAAAAAAACVg/LepbnGdiATE8QEtNBLQH10kc6gU9TO9WwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VFmegNvHtGY/Wea0nipfdLI/AAAAAAAACVg/LepbnGdiATE8QEtNBLQH10kc6gU9TO9WwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9029.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />We'll know in a month or so, come over for cocktails!<br /><br />Patrick also found a vanilla "kit" and we're almost out of Mexican vanilla, so we started that too:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7avMr95284/Wea03jsY0rI/AAAAAAAACVk/6DKditVX98g0xohAoXoNZ5efX15Wko6CACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7avMr95284/Wea03jsY0rI/AAAAAAAACVk/6DKditVX98g0xohAoXoNZ5efX15Wko6CACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9030.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-71560230881587894762017-10-16T21:12:00.002-05:002017-10-16T21:15:22.935-05:00Some More Thoughts on #MeTooIn no particular order:<br /><br />I thought I had a sense, but I am overwhelmed as to how many women in my life have posted #MeToo. But not surprised. You are all brave and wonderful and have my love and support.<br /><br />If you didn't post, I also hear you. You still have a voice. It's not a contest.<br /><br />If you're male and posted #MeToo, while I hear you, and hear that you were also a victim, and validate your experience, and though I know that sexual harassment and assault affects men also ... well, in this case, I wish you had left it just a day and let the women speak first.<br /><br />I also hear you anyone who says "it's complicated." Who doubts her own memories or experiences. Who secretly wonders if maybe she did "lead him on" &nbsp;or &nbsp;"maybe it was not that bad" or "it's my fault too." Who was told that sexuality and beauty were ways to get ahead, and who wonders if she was not as good at that game, or as pretty, or not as desirable. These doubts will eat you up. You're better than that.<br /><br />The one thing I heard today the gave me hope is, time and time again, people asking what they should do if they witness sexual harassment and assault — and that answer being "anything." Intervene, if you can. Tell someone in a position of authority if you can't step indirectly, because they have a legal obligation to investigate. Just don't let it go unchallenged.<br /><br />If you are a man in my life, you don't have to protect me from. I don't need a white knight. Just listen, and believe.<br /><br />My friend Adam, who has been writing some really brilliant stuff this week, pointed out that everyone might want to pick up a book on feminism. I think he's right.<br /><br />I don't really ever care "why" someone committed an assault, or harassed someone. There's no proper justification for it. It's just plain wrong.<br /><br />Though I'm glad that "having a daughter/mother/sister/wife" might be giving you some empathy on this, that's still casting that woman in relationship to you. Let her be her own self.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-67907536958778035502017-10-15T20:44:00.001-05:002017-10-15T20:44:13.629-05:00#MeTooAlmost exactly a year ago after speaking at Camp Coco, Patrick started a "Me too" campaign about how issues with <a href="http://patrickrhone.com/2016/10/10/me-too/" target="_blank">mental illness </a>face everyone — directly or indirectly — at some point in their lives. For awhile, the #metoo hashtag was very profound.<br /><br />And now, almost exactly a year later, that same hashtag has an equally important meaning:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; margin-bottom: 6px;">ME TOO</div><div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote "Me too" as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.<br />Please copy/paste.</div><div class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px;"><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px;"><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;*N&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/metoo?source=feed_text&amp;story_id=10214080064492898" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;"><span class="_5afx" style="direction: ltr; font-family: inherit;"><span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl _5afz" style="color: #4267b2; font-family: inherit;">#</span><span class="_58cm" style="font-family: inherit;">metoo</span></span></a></div></div></blockquote>It's currently my Facebook status. In fact, it's on the page of the majority of my female friends tonight. And it's equally profound now.<br /><br />Please think about the people you know that are using that hashtag right now (for either situation). And if you have any ideas as to what we can do to change this, I'm all ears.bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-9146335771037446762017-10-07T12:46:00.002-05:002017-10-07T14:59:22.749-05:00Revolt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ip4dWGK_sE/WdkQnt_o8NI/AAAAAAAACVI/OdlDkjSnKcQeSGxlyJaBsuVGyRPJB_7PACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_8990%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_ip4dWGK_sE/WdkQnt_o8NI/AAAAAAAACVI/OdlDkjSnKcQeSGxlyJaBsuVGyRPJB_7PACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_8990%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />"Revolt. She said. Revolt again."<br /><br />Might be one of my new favorite phrases. An excellent title for a play. A look into a new way of living.<br /><br />It's been awhile since I've seen a show at <a href="https://franktheatre.org/" target="_blank">Frank Theatre</a>, but I have a real weakness for modern feminist British playwrights, and so this one was on my MUST see list. There were practical reasons, too, like I wanted to see the new Gremlin space and Lake Monster is there (though I get enough Lake Monster through FilmNorth). But I was really interested to see how a theater company I respect so greatly would handle this script.<br /><br />The answer is "amazingly." In a lot of ways, it reminds me of how <a href="http://www.fullcircletheatermn.org/" target="_blank">Full Circle</a> handled <i>365 Days/365 Plays</i>, which is a similar kind of show created by various short scenes, played by an ensemble, that handles big issues with somewhat dark humor. The playwright is correct, "This play should not be well-behaved." And it is not.<br /><br />Look, you owe it to yourself to see the show. It's only 70 minutes long, so you can squeeze it in. But be prepared to spend a lot more time than that after the show thinking and talking about it.bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-70306294365298082452017-10-01T22:15:00.000-05:002017-10-01T22:15:05.447-05:00Building the Happy HabitI got this book because, in difficult times, &nbsp;I needed to remind myself about all the things that make me happy.<br /><br />So far, I've been a total fail. (which does not make me happy....)<br /><br />The concept is easy enough. It's a journal diary, with prompts each day about things that make you happy. And when I am prompted that way, I'm extremely successful, and I can find (at least) one thing every day. So win.<br /><br />But the format of the book confounds me a little. It starts with New Year's Eve, is ti took an inordinate amount of counting to get to September 25 to start the journal. And then, when I forget to do it, I get off pace. It's frustrating (and does not make me happy).<br /><br />All in all, though, if I put some work into this, I think I'll be happy with the result.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-keuA4Ger4J4/WdGuzn2bISI/AAAAAAAACUk/K4y62uGwM_w5sP1_xFXB9XFORK2UOfS3QCLcBGAs/s1600/41XkdzA1VzL._SX405_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="407" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-keuA4Ger4J4/WdGuzn2bISI/AAAAAAAACUk/K4y62uGwM_w5sP1_xFXB9XFORK2UOfS3QCLcBGAs/s320/41XkdzA1VzL._SX405_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>(Book received from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion).</i></div><br />bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-52983765924613419502017-10-01T20:25:00.001-05:002017-10-01T20:25:11.003-05:00On GivingI've been thinking a lot about how philanthropy reflects family values right now. I just wrote this for the PTA blog:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="color: #717171; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5625; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">At the PTA meeting on Monday night, we discussed both why the school needs to raise funds, and that PTA needs to also separately raise funds to augment the school’s activities.</div><div style="color: #717171; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5625; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">As we went home last night, my husband, daughter and I got into an interesting discussion about giving, which made me think about how different families handle charitable giving — if their budget allows or it at all.</div><div style="color: #717171; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5625; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">For Beatrix, we have set her allowance up on a spend/save/give model, where a certain percentage of her weekly funds go into each jar. So far, for her, the giving has all been focused on animal-related causes when the jar gets full enough, but it’s always her choice.</div><div style="color: #717171; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5625; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">Some families I know give an annual percentage basis, similar to tithing —&nbsp;though it often goes to more than just their church. Others set a fixed dollar amount per year, which is often conscious of an ongoing pattern of giving to selected causes.</div><div style="color: #717171; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5625; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">I have to admit that our own family’s giving is far more chaotic. We tend to give to causes based on what strongly appeals to us, whether that is emotional impact, a matching challenge, or an effort that seems really important at the time (such as hurricane relief). Today we donated to three crowdfunding initiatives for friends. And yes, Randolph Heights has become one of our main focuses, whether that is pledging for an event like the Fun Run, buying Gerten’s gift cards, or simply making sure we save box tops.</div><div style="color: #717171; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5625; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;">I’m about to start working on the fundraising plan for the PTA for the year. What are your family’s giving strategies and priorities, and how might Randolph Heights appeal to them?</div></blockquote>But in the past several days, I've also been noticing a lot of ways that giving is leveraged. We have several galas coming up. An online friend is raising money to help her family in Puerto Rico by selling (delicious) brisket and sides, which I got for Patrick for his birthday dinner tonight. We bid on items for a silent auction. These cases were really great opportunities that also benefited us in very direct ways. While I normally just give to give, I have to admit that these "extras" pushed us to give a little more at a time when I am feeling a little more strapped for funds.<br /><br />I'm also thinking about what happens when giving declines, after a prominent local arts organization laid of all its staff and is re-evaluating its future existence.<br /><br />It's a very tenuous world, and I am thinking a lot about it lately...<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div style="color: #717171; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5625; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div></blockquote>bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-80474764489812696062017-09-24T22:54:00.001-05:002017-09-24T22:54:31.335-05:00Two Concerts, Two NightsYou may notice that I rarely write about concerts here. Plays are part of our regular life, and visual art, but not as much music. I was raised with very little music, in fact, which is why I've found it so important for Beatrix to have it (and a shout out to my aunt Jan, who started that early).<br /><br />Last night, as part of a team event for my incredible client <a href="http://literacymattersus.org/" target="_blank">Literacy Matters</a>, we had a group dinner wand then went to see Carbon Leaf at the Fine Line. You may not know the name, but you know at least one of their songs "Life a life less ordinary, live a life extraordinary...."<br /><br />We met the band before hand and they gave a special shout out to Literacy Matters fro the stage. It was a fun concert, and nice to be out, in a club, which is not something we ordinarily do; I think our last concert together was Sia, also at the Fine Line, about a decade ago...<br /><br />---<br /><br />Tonight, though, topped it, when we went to see Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Band play at Orchestra Hall. It was Beatrix's first jazz concert, and I'm embarrassed to say, the first time I had been there since the renovation (I told you, I don't get to music as such, I've probably been to Orchestra Hall only 20 times or so in my life).<br /><br />There are &nbsp;a few special stories behind their one. The first is that we got the tickets because Patrick has a dear friend Randy, whose daughter Kathleen is the tour manager. She got us amazing seats, and the concert was extraordinary. People always give you the side-eye when you bring &nbsp;child to a concert like this, but at intermission everyone around us commented about how much they could see she was enjoying it — because, of course, what's not to enjoy?<br /><br />Kathleen had us on the stage door list, and so afterwards we went down and got a chance to meet Wynton Marsalis himself. There's a family legend that Patrick's grandmother taught Wynton's dad, Ellis, to read music, and upon looking at a picture of the two of them — and name-dropping, as I have learned New Orleanians love to do — Mr. Marsalis thought that story was probably true.<br /><br />The most amazing part to me, though, was when he kept looking t Beatrix, and asked her if she played anything. When she replied she played violin, piano, and a little guitar, he said he could tell that she had a special sense about her, and that he thought she would grow up to write music. Then he advised us to root her in true folk music, rather than pop, because that's where the true roots and power were. then he told Beatrix that he looked forward to hearing her music someday.<br /><br />And when you get that kind of advice, you take it to heart.bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-14012742969127047252017-09-22T14:59:00.001-05:002017-09-22T15:00:54.010-05:00Things are SwingingIt's been crazy around here getting things done for the last couple of days. In the words of one piece of art (by Chank!) that we framed and hung last night, we are both:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zeP2bc197E4/WcVrahYB1LI/AAAAAAAACUI/I_eq2YhtG-UG5d2cA0Irv2WB9UyegeXHACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_8921-1.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zeP2bc197E4/WcVrahYB1LI/AAAAAAAACUI/I_eq2YhtG-UG5d2cA0Irv2WB9UyegeXHACK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_8921-1.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><br />Perhaps the BEST part though is that yesterday Patrick got the swingset set up for Beatrix. We've had it about a year, but had never had time for it before. Circus girl that she is, the trapeze is her favorite part and she has already spent quite a bit of time on it.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tqr-Bc9Zh-A/WcVrh9pHP3I/AAAAAAAACUY/dflSaCUMyUIJnl2JjScn7_G7hAuzj2djgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_8920-2.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tqr-Bc9Zh-A/WcVrh9pHP3I/AAAAAAAACUY/dflSaCUMyUIJnl2JjScn7_G7hAuzj2djgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_8920-2.JPG" width="240" /></a>bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-80297220381361761422017-09-20T20:46:00.003-05:002017-09-20T22:03:32.412-05:00Due North<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uJSpdUIv4jE/WcMZsAEHKEI/AAAAAAAACTs/9EmoY9r5sVYrUwTUZwX52OIB3s6Zr07sQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_8906.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uJSpdUIv4jE/WcMZsAEHKEI/AAAAAAAACTs/9EmoY9r5sVYrUwTUZwX52OIB3s6Zr07sQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_8906.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><br />I have spent the last three days doing historic survey in Ely.<br /><br />You might think about taking my Minnesota card away if I admit I had never been TO Ely before, only THROUGH it. But I think the town is used to that. For its entire life it has been the last stop, the jumping-off place for going into the wilderness, for paddling off into the Boundary Waters, the Quetico, or points farther north.<br /><br />But the last few days I've been studying the built environment — surveying the downtown, doing historic research, meeting with the HPC in City Hall. I've walked up and down the streets, had delicious coffee and muffins for breakfast, and ate at one of the best restaurants I've been to recently (hail <a href="http://insularestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Insula</a>!). We stayed in a house in town across from the school that was like a trip back to 1972.<br /><br />What you may not know about me, unless you've known me for a long time, is that during my teens I used to spend a month at a time on <a href="https://www.ymcamn.org/camps/camp_widjiwagan" target="_blank">Widji </a>canoe trips. Every winter I would go up a couple more times for winter camping weekends. That wilderness was my home, but it's been a part of me that's been shut off for a long, long time.<br /><br />This trip, being that close to the wilderness but not actually in it was kind of painful. Ely is quiet in late September. The canoes are all stacked up, the outfitters closed or closing, and it seems like the end of something.<br /><br />In the middle of last night was a ferocious storm, where the windy, rainy air was filled with the scent of pine and somehow the wilderness seemed even closer.<br /><br />And today we visited the National Register site <a href="http://www.burntside.com/" target="_blank">Burntside Lodge</a>, and suddenly it was like no time at all had passed. It was all I could do not to grab a canoe and head out onto the lake.<br /><br />I think I need that back in my life.<br /><br />(a post dedicated to 9, who taught me about all this to begin with)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ssIxAo2e_-o/WcMZndii9HI/AAAAAAAACTk/SszDhGvxIYgQWdyGab6FgcNVZHxz6O0EgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_8910.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ssIxAo2e_-o/WcMZndii9HI/AAAAAAAACTk/SszDhGvxIYgQWdyGab6FgcNVZHxz6O0EgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_8910.JPG" width="240" /></a>bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190219863762789414.post-13677612642023454412017-09-12T17:06:00.002-05:002017-09-12T17:08:54.187-05:00It's the Little ThingsOk, so for all the bigger projects we do around the houses, it may be the small ones that I am (perhaps disproportionally) most excited about right now!<br /><br />At Summit, most of the outlets have been converted to 3-prong, but as anyone who has ever tried to plug a crockpot in our dining room knows, not all of them have! The dining room was the only one that was entirely 2-prong, but the living room, den, and 3 of 4 bedrooms had 2-prong outlets mixed with 3-prong ones, and it always seems that the 2-prong was where you <b>really </b>needed a 3-prong (for example, at my favorite chair at the front window).<br /><br />So on Sunday, my friend Anna came over, made sure the circuits could handle the load, and converted them all to 3-prongs! Bonus — we made a start on actually labelling the circuits of the circuit box.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o1BJd_XFA88/WbhZ_EBPW2I/AAAAAAAACSo/wrk0rFCpo6YohlANCPr_MEzUTJ9aWFyVwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_8767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o1BJd_XFA88/WbhZ_EBPW2I/AAAAAAAACSo/wrk0rFCpo6YohlANCPr_MEzUTJ9aWFyVwCK4BGAYYCw/s400/IMG_8767.JPG" /></a></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jWSo0o68DIM/WbhaBZDmPyI/AAAAAAAACSw/28UcMM61aywpL9wSbIeHo2c3D9cIuM0aACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_8768.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jWSo0o68DIM/WbhaBZDmPyI/AAAAAAAACSw/28UcMM61aywpL9wSbIeHo2c3D9cIuM0aACK4BGAYYCw/s400/IMG_8768.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;">Since we had to go to the hardware store to get the outlets, we also picked up 27 cabinet closers for the kitchen. For a high-end, Kitchens by Krengel kitchen, the cabinets have been kind of fails; the doors are heavy, so they don't hang right, and they tend to pop open. The dogs especially expo this to get into the pantry and raid the bag of dog food, plus any cookies they can reach. So Patrick installed cabinet door magnetic closers, and now they close with a satisfying click!</span><br /><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pfNifu63M5E/WbhaIrCeViI/AAAAAAAACS4/Byg3mqi6PTs7dQh7nj37vJbTw6_sMXLkwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_8769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pfNifu63M5E/WbhaIrCeViI/AAAAAAAACS4/Byg3mqi6PTs7dQh7nj37vJbTw6_sMXLkwCK4BGAYYCw/s400/IMG_8769.JPG" /></a></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-olZuqiXaSfw/WbhaXI5BF3I/AAAAAAAACTQ/xv2hVuKCYTUEDF5a_qNgqCZHn_ihF8rywCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_8770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-olZuqiXaSfw/WbhaXI5BF3I/AAAAAAAACTQ/xv2hVuKCYTUEDF5a_qNgqCZHn_ihF8rywCK4BGAYYCw/s400/IMG_8770.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />It feels SO good to get those projects done and stop the nagging annoyances! We're planning on bringing Anna back to deal with a dripping faucet and some other similar projects; she's eminently capable, so let me know if you want her number, and you can feel the same sense of satisfaction!bethanyghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10442299811818066262noreply@blogger.com0